In a strongly worded letter, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh that the state government was too lenient in dealing with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and his outfit.

Dr Singh, in a letter written on October 27, told Deshmukh that his government cannot be a spectator during deliberate attempts to disturb peace in the state, NDTV reported.

The prime minister said that the incidents in Maharashtra over the past few weeks were a matter of great concern and termed the state home minister's "bullet-for-bullet" remarks as unfortunate, the television channel reported.

In his reply, Deshmukh is understood to have assured the prime minister that all steps had been taken to ensure the safety of north Indians staying in the state and that such attacks do not recur in the future.